Electric fluid-heater.



J. S. SMYSER. ELECTRIC FLUID HEATER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 4, 1908.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

4.. .ws F

Witnesses:

Inventor: Jame .Smyserby MM oftty.

` of my device; Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the l UNTTEj-D sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

JAMES S. SMYSER, OF HARWICH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COM- PANY,'A.`CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. l

ELECTRIC FLUID-EE ATER.

f Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

Application med April 4, 190s. seria No. 425,088.

To' all whom 'it may concern:

Be 1t known. that I, JAMES S. SMYSER, a

citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at Hariv wich, county of Barnstable, State of AMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric- Fluid-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric fluid heaters and has for its object the provision of a device of this character in which lthe fluid may be heated to any desired A temperature in a simple and eiiicient manner.

More specifically my invention relates to what arexliibwn as electrolytic heaters in which the fluid is 'heated directly by the current, that is, the fluid forms a part of the electric circuit. Y

In carrying out my invention the two electrodes between which the Huid is heated are made in similar form adapted to mesh with each other so as to leave a narrow space for the fluid. By this arrangement a large area of contact is presented anda very com# pact heater produced.-

In the accompanylng drawing in which I have shown my invention embodied in concrete form, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation same, the cover being removed; and Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are plan views of modified forms of the heating unit.

Referring to the drawing 10 represents a receptacle preferably of met-al and circular` in form having an insulating lining 11.

/Within this receptacle are arranged the elec-- trodes between which the fluid is to be heated These electrodes i12 and 13 are preferably similar in shape, each consisting of a plurality of plates 14 and 15 arranged parallel with each other and spaced apart so as to allow the Huid, such as water, to pass between them. Plates Hare all arranged in multiple by bein .connected together at one end by rmeans o a segmental plate 16 and the plates 15 are similarly connected vtogether at their opposite `ends by means of the segment 17, a space -beingleft between-4 Athe ends of the plates of one electrode and the segment of the other..l I n this way the two electrodes while being very close together are out of contact with eachother and present a very large conductlng surface inclosed withina comparatively small space.

The electrodes are mounted within' the recep'tac'le by being secured Vto but insulated from the cover 18. Binding screws 19 and 20 are tapped into' the segmental plates 16 and 12 respectively and are insulated from the cover by means of the insulating sleeves 21. Pipe connections 22 and 23 are arranged at the upper and lowerend of the receptacle respectively, for circulating the fluid, such as water, between the electrodes.

In Fig. 3 I have shown another form of the electrodein which the plates 24 instead 'of being flat are circular in form being joined in the center by a yoke 25. In Fig. 4 a similar result is eected by having the plates 26 and 27 of helical form adjacent each other and spaced apart, while in Fig. 5 the same result is obtained by having the connecting yokes 28 and 29 straight instead of circular as shown in Fig. 2. l

It will thus be seen that I have provided an electrolytic heater which is an exceedingly compact structure and lin which a large conducting surface is obtained in a simple manner. The numerous channels for liquid flow insure a large delivery of -hot liquid and the structure admits of a very small gap between electrodes without intertering with volume of liquid supply.

While I have described my invention in connection with a specific structure andrcombination of parts 1t should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto except in so.- far as it is limited by the scope of the claimsannexed hereto.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

'1. An electric heater comprising a plurality of spacedparallel plates, the alternate v ones bein connected in multiple to form opposite e ectrodes, and means for maintaining'a fluid' between the electrodes to complete a circuit.

2. An electric heater comprising a -fiuid receptacle, a pair of electrodesV adjacently mounted therein each composed of parallel spaced plates connected at `one end, and 'circuit terminals for said electrodes.

3. An electric heater comprising a fluid" receptacle, a pair of similar (y shaped electrodes mounted therein an arranged to vmesh `with each other buts aced apart, and

trodes mountedv therein each having its conducting surface arranged in paral l4 planes l said electrodes being meshed together but plates, and means for causing fluid to How ut of Contact With each other, and circuit between the plates to complete the circuit. 10'

terminals for saidele'ctrodes In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set 5. An electric lheater comprising oppomy hand this second day of April, 1908.

.f sitelly7 arranged groups of spaced parallel JAMES S. SMYSER.

plates connected in multiple, the plates of Witnesses: one group alternating with those of the HELEN ORFoRD, other group, circuit connections through said CHARLES MCCLAIR. 

